Carolina Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn was surprisingly inactive for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, and it’s safe to say the veteran is not happy about it.
Coach Ron Rivera had stated before the team’s game that Munnerlyn, who left Wednesday’s practice for undisclosed personal reasons, would not play, and the decision had been made Saturday morning.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he made the decision Saturday morning not to play Captain Munnerlyn, who left practice on Wednesday for "personal reasons." https://t.co/nJB9ATCgN1
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) December 17, 2017
After the game, Munnerlyn reasserted that the benching had been for personal reasons — and called the decision a “slap in the face.”
Captain Munnerlyn said he was benched today because of a "personal thing within the team." Was his first healthy scratch. He called it a "slap in the face" but how coach Ron Rivera wanted to handle it. He is moving on. https://t.co/5tSaPvZv9u
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) December 17, 2017
Munnerlyn and Rivera had not seen eye-to-eye in the past, when the cornerback made some less-than-flattering comments about the Panthers during his stint with the Minnesota Vikings. It seems all is not totally smooth between the two once again.
